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Tue, 31 Mar 2015 17:54:49 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Atkins selected to the AFCA's 2002 Aztec Bowl Squadhttp://www.bates.edu/news/2002/11/26/atkins-aztec-bow/
http://www.bates.edu/news/2002/11/26/atkins-aztec-bow/#commentsTue, 26 Nov 2002 21:13:32 +0000http://home.bates.edu/?p=18001Bates College running back Sean Atkins ’03 (New York, N.Y.)has been selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association’s Division III all-star team that will represent the United States against the Mexican National Team in the 2002 Aztec Bowl on December 14 in Torreon, Mexico.

Atkins rushed for 1,069 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a 302 yard, seven touchdown performance against Bowdoin College, to earn All-New England Small College Athletic Conference honors for the second year in a row.

Atkins is one of 42 NCAA Division III seniors from around the country who will make up this year’s team. Former Central (Iowa) College head coach Ron Schipper will coach the team for the sixth consecutive year.

Event information: This year’s game will kick off at 1 p.m. CST on December 14 in Torreon.

Webcasts: Chitwood Sports Media of Marshall, Texas will again provide a live webcast of the Aztec Bowl in 2002. Along with the game webcast, which will begin with a pregame show at noon on December 14, announcers Charlie Chitwood and Ned Frantangelo will provide 90-minute preview shows on December 11, 12 and 13. The preview shows will originate from the Team USA hotel and will begin each night at 6:30 p.m. CST.

The Aztec Bowl is the traditional season-ending game for Mexico’s college football season. The game has been played 28 times since 1947 with the last four contests in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 featuring the United States-Mexico match-up. In their first three Aztec Bowl meetings, the United States Division III all-stars defeated Mexico, 37-5 in 2001 in Saltillo, 27-26 in 2000 in Merida, 44-13 in 1999 in Mexico City, 40-13 in 1998 in Monterrey, and 42-41 in 1997 in Toluca.

Aztec Bowl Alumni: Two former USA Team mebers, London Fletcher and Clint Kriewaldt, are currently playing in the National Football League. Fletcher, who played collegiately at John Carroll and was a member of the 1997 U.S. team, is a starting linebacker with the Buffalo Bills. Kriewaldt was the Detroit Lions’ 1999 fifth round draft pick out of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and played in the 1998 Aztec Bowl.

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 8,000 members around the world, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching.”